What to Know Before Buying a Diamond Engagement Ring

Planning on buying a diamond engagement ring? This can be an intimidating task if you don’t know how diamonds are rated and valued. Here’s a review of the 4Cs—cut, color, clarity and carat—as well as some other diamond buying tips to help you feel confident when you browse and buy.

The GIA Diamond Rating System, aka the 4Cs

In the 1940s, the Gemological Institute of America (GIA) created a universal rating system to standardize the diamond rating process, and ultimately protect consumers from getting ripped off.

Known as "the 4Cs," the GIA International Diamond Grading System™ is the jewelry industry standard to objectively evaluate, compare, and rate diamonds.

Carat—the standard unit of weight. The word carat derives from carob seeds because early gemstone appraisers used carob seeds as counterweights on their scales.

One carat weighs 0.2 grams, and one carat is equal to 100 points. Therefore, a quarter carat weighs 25 points, a half carat weighs 50 points and a three-quarter carat weighs 75 points. It takes about 142 carats to equal one ounce.

A fraction of a carat can mean a big difference in the value of a diamond, so precision in measuring is crucial. Carat weight is often measured to the hundred thousandths of a carat, and rounded to a hundredth of a carat.

Note: Diamond carat should not be confused with gold karat, which refers to gold purity.

Color—colorless is more valuable. Diamonds are valued by how closely they approach colorlessness: the less color a diamond has, the higher its value. The exception to this rule are the rare colored diamonds—known as "fancy" colored diamonds—which are growing in popularity. Most diamonds sold in retail stores are near colorless to faint or light brown or yellow.

The Gemological Institute of America's universal color scale starts at D, representing colorless, and goes through Z and beyond to the fancy and vivid colors. The higher the letter, the more presence of color in the diamond.

Clarity—a diamond’s internal and external flaws. Blemishes are external flaws, and inclusions are internal flaws. Inclusions are created when the diamond is formed, or when the diamond is cut. Because 100 percent "perfect" diamonds are very rare in nature, those with fewer blemishes and inclusions are rarer and cost more.

The GIA International Diamond Grading System™ Clarity Scale is the standard clarity grade scale, and contains 11 grades. Diamonds are assigned a clarity grade ranging from flawless (FL) to diamonds with obvious inclusions (I3). Most diamonds are graded in the VS (very slightly included) or SI (slightly included) categories.

To determine a diamond's clarity, appraisers using the GIA Clarity Scale consider different variables, including the diamond's size, nature, position, color or relief, and quantity of clarity characteristics visible under 10X magnification.

Cut—rates characteristics of shape. The GIA system rates a diamond’s cut using five grades: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Fair, and Poor. The system considers factors such as brightness, fire and scintillation, weight ratio, durability, polish, and symmetry.

The cut of any diamond has three attributes: brilliance (the total light reflected from a diamond), fire (the dispersion of light into the colors of the spectrum), and scintillation (the flashes of light, or sparkle, when a diamond is moved).

Most diamond jewelry uses the standard round brilliant shape. All others are known as fancy shapes, and include the marquise, pear, oval, and emerald cuts. Diamond shapes such as hearts and triangles are also gaining in popularity.

Other Important Diamond Buying Tips

Understanding the cut, color, clarity, and carat of a diamond is important, but when it comes down to it, choosing the right diamond is also subjective: how you feel and what you like. Don’t just focus on the GIA rating—go with a diamond that looks beautiful to you—or better yet, your mate will appreciate—and is in your budget. Make sure you know the person’s taste and ring size, as well as the jewelry store's return policy.

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Diamond Facts

Those born during the month of April have one of the most regal and desired gems as their birthstone: the diamond. Here are some interesting facts about diamonds you may not know.

Diamonds are a naturally occurring allotrope of the element, carbon. Diamonds are formed deep inside the earth’s interior when carbon is crystallized over a long period of time due to two factors: heat and pressure.

Diamonds were first mined in India around 800 B.C. Today, the four top diamond producing countries in the world are Australia, Zaire, Botswana, and Russia. Interestingly, Crater of Diamonds State Park in Arkansas is the only diamond-producing location in the world that allows the public to dig for and keep the diamonds they find.

Diamonds are appraised and priced based on a standard grading system by the Gemological Institute of America (the GIA). The grading system is known as “The 4 Cs” and consist of color, clarity, carat weight, and cut.

Diamond jewelry has gained fame as a result of its presence in legendary films. Marilyn Monroe famously sang “Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend” in the 1953 film, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Actress Jane Russell later sang the signature song in the same film, in court, while pretending to be Monroe’s character, Lorelei.

In the 1963 film, The Pink Panther, Peter Sellers played clueless police inspector Jacques Clouseau, on the trail of a jewel thief known as The Phantom. In the movie, “the largest diamond in the world” is called The Pink Panther.

And who can forget James Cameron’s movie Titanic starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet, in which the fictional blue diamond called “The Heart of the Ocean” is tragically lost to the ocean. 
Diamonds have also gained notoriety as a result of record-breaking auction sales. In December 2011, Elizabeth Taylor’s renowned jewelry collection was auctioned at Christie’s in New York. One of her most famous pieces was the Taylor-Burton diamond ring, given to her by husband, Richard Burton. The Taylor-Burton diamond is a 69.42 carat pear-shaped stone estimated to be worth $3.5 million. Taylor sold the diamond in 1978 following her divorce from Burton to fund her charity work.

On December 10, 2012 at the final lot of Christie’s “Magnificent Jewels” auction, a new world auction record was achieved for a reddish-orange fancy colored diamond. The rare 3.15 carat diamond is the largest reddish-orange diamond ever graded at the GIA, and sold for $2,098,500, setting a new per-carat record price of $666,200.

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